Oops, He Did It Again — Trump Makes Headlines With Anti-Semitic Faux Pas


As if we didn’t expect the holiday weekend to bring controversy in politics, Donald Trump has made news yet again. Trump came under fire after posting a tweet criticizing Hillary Clinton. But contrary to what you might think, it wasn’t the criticism of his opponent that made headlines.

Donald Trump came under fire for invoking anti-Semitic stereotypes thanks to a graphic tweet he posted, which included an image of Hillary Clinton, a six-pointed star and dollar bills. The tweet also included the quote “most corrupt candidate ever,” and was deleted fairly quickly after the backlash began. But before the controversial tweet was removed, Trump posted the same graphic with a circle in place of the six-pointed star (which is often representative of the Jewish Star David).

According to a report from CNN, the Trump campaign did not comment on the decision to use the six-pointed star graphic. Thus, whether or not Trump’s campaign staff had concerns about the potential for anti-Semitic undertones in the graphic remains unknown.

The backlash on Twitter was almost immediate. The director emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman, was quick to call the tweet insensitive. However, he also confirmed that he was reassured by the fact that the campaign was quick to delete the tweet. He told reporters, “I think it’s incumbent on someone who wants to run this country to take the time out and distance and condemn it.” He also stated, “They realized it was edgy and could be abused. I’m not sure the intentions were there but there was certainly a lack of sensitivity.”

The backlash is somewhat interesting considering the fact that Donald Trump has remained definitively pro-Israel throughout his campaign. In March of this year, he made news by stating, “the days of treating Israel like a second-class citizen will end on day one” of his presidency. Not only that, but Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter, is an observant Jew. She converted to Judaism prior to her marriage to Jared Kushner. Her marriage to Kushner has given Donald Trump three Jewish grandchildren.

Only one day prior to the insensitive tweet, Trump tweeted about his shock over the murder of a 13-year-old Israeli-American Jew who was stabbed to death in her home in West Bank at the hands of a Palestinian terrorist.

At a campaign rally just last week, Trump chastised a man who criticized Israel and told him, “Israel is a very, very important ally of the United States and we are going to protect them 100% — 100%. It’s our true friend over there.”

To add to the controversy, despite Trump’s staunchly pro-Israel stance, he’s also been slow to separate himself from white supremacists who have publicly expressed support for his candidacy.

The truth is, the current political landscape is rough. There has been controversy at every turn, on every media outlet, and on the tips of many tongues in recent months; the turmoil will undoubtedly continue right up until election day. But no matter how you feel about either candidate, it is somewhat safe to say that this election year has been one of the most dramatic in our nation’s history. And as the race reaches its fever pitch, with voters looking on, the two most controversial political figures imaginable will likely be taking the gloves off.

[Photo by Mark Piscotti/Getty Images]

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